In a harrowing case for the town of McKinney, Texas, justice was handed down as 50-year-old Paul Wilbanks received a 31-year no-parole sentence for sexually assaulting a young child over a span of three years, starting when the victim was only six. According to the Collin County District Attorney's Office, Wilbanks, from Justin, Texas, was a familiar figure to the child, a detail that only deepens the betrayal.

The acts of abuse, confirmed by the victim in a forensic interview at the Children's Advocacy Center of Collin County, took place across multiple Texan cities, such as Aubrey, Frisco, Richardson, and Plano, the criminal activity came to light when the child who was courageous enough to speak up at age 9 reported the abuse to their therapist subsequently leading to a Child Protective Services and law enforcement probe. Detective Olga Chavez of the Frisco Police Department spearheaded the investigation that culminated in Wilbanks’ conviction, as the jury delivered a guilty verdict and ruled for the stringent 31-year sentence for Continuous Sexual Abuse of a Child.

The jury’s decision, upholding a charge that carries a sentencing option of 25 to 99 years or even life, reflects the gravity of Wilbanks' crimes, with the chosen 31-year term being without the possibility of parole—underscoring the magnitude of his offenses. Overseeing the proceedings, Judge John R. Roach, Jr. placed the final seal on the case.

In a statement following the sentencing, District Attorney Greg Willis, reflecting the communal investment in the pursuit of justice commented, “Every day, we hear devastating stories of children harmed by those they trusted, suffering in silence for years until a brave outcry ends their abuse; and we rely on our citizens to serve as jurors and decide the rightful justice in these cases, we remain profoundly thankful for everyone – past, present, and future – who supported and supports this child through such unthinkable trauma.” The trial's successful prosecution was the result of the teamwork of Assistant Criminal District Attorneys Baileigh Hale and Mollie Thompson, with support from District Attorney Investigator Greg Bowers, Victim Assistance Coordinators Melissa White and Valerie Miller, and Legal Secretary Ramnpreet Kaur, as per the Collin County District Attorney's Office.